Quint: Quarterfinal Round Breakdown

Quint Kessenich writes this column for The Baltimore Sun every Friday. For more lacrosse news from The Sun, visit their Lacrosse Insider blog for daily news and notes. Also, follow them on Twitter @LacrosseInsider.

Welcome to the money round.

Six hundred miles apart, at venues that couldn't be much more different — Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium and College Park's Byrd Stadium — eight men's lacrosse teams will duel for the right to play during Championship Weekend in Philadelphia.

This is the ultimate payoff for a player and a program. Here's a closer look at each quarterfinal matchup (games listed in order of start times):

No. 3 seed Ohio State vs. Cornell, Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

The Big Red (13-3) are three one-goal losses from being undefeated and is unseeded in a year defined by parity. Cornell dominated Maryland at Byrd Stadium in College Park on Sunday and returns to the scene of the crime.

An efficient offense highlighted by the nation's most dominant player, a good faceoff unit spearheaded by Doug Tesoriero, a tenacious ride and a roster that plays with uncommon energy and emotion have fans in Ithaca, N.Y., thinking NCAA title.

Rob Pannell (40 goals, 47 assists, pictured) drives the bus. He's third all-time in NCAA history for points, 14 away from tying Matt Danowski (Duke 2004-08). He makes his linemates dangerous with an ability to break his man down, handle double teams and distribute. Cornell shot 16-for-31 against the Terps, cashing in on layups earned by Pannell's footwork and vision.

If Pannell is Batman, then Steve Mock is Robin.

"Rob and I have been on the same page since Day One," said Mock, who's scored 24 times this year off assists from Pannell. Mock, a senior captain, has a career shooting percentage above 40 percent and will try to sit down in the soft spots of the Buckeyes' zone defense. Mock (52 goals) wrapped up his academic responsibilities Wednesday when he turned in a paper on "green marketing."

Midfielders Connor Buczek and Max Van Bourgondien are accurate midrange shooters when they set their feet and get clean looks. Connor English and Matt Donovan complete the top six threats. Cornell lacks depth and will benefit from the cooler weather in the forecast.

Cornell is 26-6 for DeLuca when it wins the ground-ball war. "We're not going to put the brakes on," DeLuca said.

Ohio State (13-3) has won seven straight since a March 30 loss to Loyola. The Buckeyes are shooting nearly 40 percent during the streak.

I was in Columbus for national signing day in January and watched lacrosse practice. Right away, it was apparent that this is an extremely well-coached team. Coach Nick Myers tailored his system to a roster loaded with Canadians and Baltimore natives. They do unorthodox drills, and innovation has benefits.

Why have they been successful? Ohio State has a lethal extra-man unit, for one. The Buckeyes also don't turn the ball over much, don't foul often, use multiple defensive schemes and own the No. 8 rated faceoff percentage (.578) in the country.

Southpaw Logan Schuss (43, 26) from British Columbia has been their offensive catalyst for four years. He has 145 career goals in 61 games because of his intellect, vision and snappy shooting release.

"Logan understands defensive fronts," Myers said. "He can be a setup man or finisher. He's more versatile than the typical lefty Canadian."

Senior midfielder Dominique Alexander (9, 18) is a prime reason the Buckeyes ride a wave of momentum into the quarterfinals.

"He's played every shift for four years," Myers said. "We ask him to play offense, defense and man-down. He makes good decisions when he's tired. He's a worker, a student of the game who has a knack for reading slides."

When you face Cornell, buckle up and embrace the dogfight. The Buckeyes are seeded No. 3 but are a slight underdog. Their biggest challenge will be to handle the spotlight of a quarterfinal while devising and executing a variety of defensive schemes to keep Pannell off balance.

No. 1 seed Syracuse vs. Yale, Saturday, 3 p.m.

The No. 1 seed Orange (14-3) began the year ranked outside the Top 10. Coach John Desko is 29-8 in the postseason, and the Orange has won 11 titles since 1983 (but hasn't won a quarterfinal since 2009). This spring, Desko's has done his finest work.

Syracuse has a dizzying motion offense with crisp passing, off-ball movement and well-timed cuts. The Orange rarely commits unforced turnovers. Depth of scoring is a strength thanks in part to a potent second midfield. Eight players have 10 or more goals.

"We have developed chemistry and bought into the system," Marasco said.

I've seen Syracuse in person five times, and its defense improves each week. The Orange is 9-0 when holding opponents to single digits. Goalie Dominic Lamolinara is clutch, with a .570 save percentage in the second half of games this year. The weakness is faceoffs (.434).

Yale (12-4) has won consecutive Ivy League tournament championships for coach Andy Shay. The Bulldogs, who trailed in all 16 contests this year, rallied to beat Penn State on the road in the first round. Down 5-1 at the half, they played flawlessly from then on.

Faceoff ace Dylan Levings (.592, pictured) is a possession machine, anticipating the whistle and winning the clamp. Yale will attempt to wear down the Orange defense with extended multiple-shot possessions.

Yale's two biggest issues will be penetrating on offense and stopping the Orange in half-field sets.

"Syracuse is terrifyingly unselfish," Shay said. "You can't predict who their hero will be. Everybody on our defense must do their job.

"I used to write up 18-page scouting reports, but the kids don't want that," Shay added. "Our mindset is to ignore the potential of this game. Don't worry about ranking, seeding or what's next with a win or loss. One game. Enjoy the week together. It's the identical approach we've taken since the Ivy League tournament."

No. 5 seed North Carolina vs. No. 4 seed Denver, Sunday, noon

The day's opener at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will be high-scoring and a tossup. The teams met in the 2012 first round in Chapel Hill, with the Pioneers winning, 16-14.

Carolina (13-3) has won 10 games in a row, with 11 goal scorers in a 16-7 win over Lehigh. "We have been paying attention to details," said Breschi, "and playing fast and loose."

The Heels shoot 33 percent, average 34.7 possessions per game (at 51 seconds apiece) and are the No. 2 most efficient offense in the nation.

Senior captain Marcus Holman, a Tewaaraton finalist, has 79 points. Carolina's attack of Joey Sankey (34, 19), Jimmy Bitter (32, 19) and Holman will be a matchup nightmare for Denver. How will the Pioneers clear the ball against the trio?

Freshman goalie Kieran Burke (12-3) has been remarkable between the pipes for a Heels defense that has grown better in April and May. This kid is mentally tough for four quarters. Short-stick defender Ryan Creighton is the glue guy. I'm not sold on the defense, though. If R.G. Keenan can't keep the faceoff battle near 50-50, the Pioneers will roll.

Offensive coordinator Matt Brown handles the scouting for Denver. "We look at everything. Team concepts like slide packages and how they defend picks," Brown said. "And I spend a lot of time looking at individual tendencies and habits — approaches and recoveries, stick placement and off-ball mechanics.

"Eric Law is our coach on the field," Brown said of the Salisbury transfer, who has gone from a complementary piece to the lead role. "He's the backbone of the offense."

The Pioneers (13-4) are also led by midfielders Wesley Berg, who shot 8-for-12 in the win over Albany last week, and Cameron Flint, who has 32 goals. The Pioneers churn in their motion offense, averaging 60 seconds per possession.

The team that wins faceoffs, makes stops and converts their great looks usually advances. This might be a game of goal-scoring runs. Who can explode for the biggest run? "We are firing on all cylinders," Denver's Brown said. "Our mindset will be 'Enjoy it and be excited.' "

No. 2 seed Notre Dame vs. No. 7 seed Duke, Sunday, 2:30 p.m.

Coach John Danowski and the Blue Devils (13-5) have won 11 of their past 12 games and are looking for their seventh straight trip to Championship Weekend. The Fighting Irish defeated the Blue Devils, 13-5, on Feb. 16 in Durham, N.C.

Danowski is 11-3 in rematches with regular-season opponents in the tournament. Duke is peaking now, while Notre Dame hasn't looked good in its past three games. The Blue Devils are the lower seed but favored in this matchup based upon how they are playing right now.

Faceoff man Brendan Fowler sets the table for Duke, winning 71 percent of his draws in the fourth quarter. The Devils average 37 offensive possessions per game. They have solid depth, but this game is being played indoors in air conditioning. Notre Dame (11-4) will want this game called tightly by the refs; Duke rents a time-share in the penalty box.

Duke's defense and goaltending is inconsistent. The Devils allow 15 goals against in losses and half that in wins. "At times we are indecisive and make poor decisions," Danowski said.

Goalie Kyle Turri is adept out of the goal. "At the end of the day he is 11-1 as a starter and getting better," Danowski said.

"Our defense has struggled to focus for the entire possession," said Turri. "We've suffered momentary lapses." Those hiccups open the door for a struggling Notre Dame offense.

Irish coach Kevin Corrigan leads a team that has pulled off five fourth-quarter comebacks this season.

"Our biggest challenge is to find an offensive rhythm to score points," Corrigan said. "Duke will chase the ball carrier with ball pressure and adjacent pressure. We can't be timid."

Notre Dame's foundation is defense. "They have ended our season two of the last three years," said Irish goalie John Kemp. In 2010, Duke beat Notre Dame, 6-5, in overtime to claim the NCAA title. In 2011, the Blue Devils took down the Irish in the quarterfinals, 7-5.

"I want to be a calming presence for our defense," Kemp said. "When I give up a goal, I want to learn from it, use it to get better, but move on and forget about it."